Where smart Auction Chairs spend their money

A budget for fundraising gala will vary by group (for instance, you might have access to a free venue; others might negotiate discounted printing), but when we look at the budgets of committees coast-to-coast, we see common expenses.

And it’s not uncommon to see costs shape up like the chart on the right.

So do you think that if you write the biggest check to the caterer or the venue or the band (pick a category), they are providing the greatest help to you in your mission?

Probably not.

Let’s consider some examples …

If the florist creates stunning centerpieces, will that help you raise money?

No. I’ve yet to see a guest stand up and donate $1000 because the centerpieces rocked.

What about the US Postal Service?

Will the mailman deliver your invitation in such a way that a new guest will decide to buy a ticket?

No. And having “extra cool programs” from a printer doesn’t gain you extra money, either.

Does a neat venue make you money?

Well …. sometimes. An unusual space might attract more guests, especially if it’s usually something “off-limits” to the public.

That said, the mission of the venue owner isn’t about helping you raise cash. His mission is to provide you a comfortable, safe venue. So don’t expect the venue’s owner to deliver a compelling speech that will inspire guests to donate.

What about a kick-ass band?

If you budget more money for a band and get someone REALLY good, will you raise more money?

If the entertainer’s name is Aerosmith, Billy Joel or something similar, you’ll sell more tickets and – yes – this could equate to more profit.

But if you’re spending a lot more to merely hire a local “better” band, save your money. A band’s focus is to entertain; not compel guests to give. You might have a more enjoyable listening experience, but that doesn’t mean you’ll raise more money.

Here’s the bottom line.

The ONLY vendor who shares your goal of raising money is the auctioneer.

Your auctioneer is a professional sales person with the singular goal of selling high!

To accomplish this goal, auctioneers use their personality, charisma and chant (it’s outside the scope of this post, but the “fast talk” makes you money).

They facilitate the event so it has momentum. They cajole and entertain.

And if you’re using a benefit auctioneer, you’ll also get additional ideas prior to the event that will improve your gala. The good ones will consult with you.

So when it comes to selecting vendors, where do you think your biggest decision lies?

Your biggest decision should be who to hire as your auctioneer. It’s the ONLY vendor sharing your mission.

If you’re going to screw up on hiring a vendor, don’t let it be the auctioneer. They’re the only vendor focused on fundraising.

They don’t care about making pretty invitations … they aren’t focused on serving the food at 7:30 PM … they aren’t trying to provide a danceable beat. They care about selling high.

Next week I’ll tell a personal story about how I learned the importance of vendor selection in my former corporate job.

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and education, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Do you have any suggestions for the following situation? Our club has had Chinese New Year Dinner Dance with Silent and Live Auction for 12 years. There are several of the more senior members of the club who insist of keeping the Chinese New Year theme. On the other hand, there are many younger members of the club who would like to keep the Silent and Live Auction part of the event, however change the Chinese New Year theme and possibly get away from the “Dance” part of the event. We generally have between 200-300 people attend the event….at best we have a dozen people get up and dance for a song or two. Many of us feel that money is being wasted on a band. However the older people feel that when people are paying $85 per person they “expect” live music. Part of the reason that many of us want to change the theme is because we receive multiple complaints about how “terrible” the food is. We hold the event in a hotel which holds many conferences, weddings, etc. If we change the theme, we feel that we would have a much better menu choice. We’ve also been told by many of the non-members who attend that they attend the event because they are friends and co-workers of the co-chairs and that part of the money raised goes to the local non-profit hospital that many of us work. This past year we managed to get them to allow us to try using “PayPal” (which was successful). We also created a central email address (the one above) in hopes that all of the requests, questions, communication, etc. goes to one place and is directed to the proper person from that one central email address. Also, the older members of the club are completely against spending any kind of money…this past year the new co-chairs spent approx. $70 to purchase necklace and bracelet displays. It was such a hurdle spending the money that the person who purchased them decided it was best to donate them to the club instead of fighting with people to be reimbursed $70. Thanking you in advancing for your suggestions.
Lisa Schaffer

Wow! You’ve got a lot of questions tucked into this. Clearly you’ve got your hands full! The good news is that you’re not alone. This sort of resistance is pretty common.

In fact, you might find it fun to watch this video clip (below) shot at a school, immediately following their auction. For 10 years, this event raised $17k to $19k. A new Auction Chair took the reigns, did her homework, and made three big changes. 1) They moved from a potluck to a catered meal. 2) They bought software to help with registration and check-out. 3) They hired a professional auctioneer (me).

The committee approved the first two changes, but adamantly refused to pay my fee. So the Auction Chair stepped forward and paid for me herself.

At the end of the night, they’d raised $68,000 … a $50,000 gain IN ONE YEAR. Everyone was stunned, thrilled, gasping, etc. This video was shot as guests checked out. You’ll hear from one of the “naysayers” who had argued against spending any money on their auction.

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What auction planners say

Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator

Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Sherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this year! Some of the tidbits: You added EXCITEMENT and ENTERTAINMENT… You added EXPERTISE and FUN… You helped the evening FLOW, in a wonderful and positive direction… You were FUN,… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

You have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, … she got the bidders to bid without being rude/pushing, … I loved observing her, I just watched her, … she did a great job.’ It was… Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” The following year, she herself ‘stepped up’ and became one of the gala… Read The Rest “Geri”

Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal with people in a way that isn’t intimidating — men, women,… Read The Rest “Irene”

Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering. Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went off… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

As a former Fox News Anchorwoman, I am often called on to perform at auctions. So, I know first-hand that auctioneering can be a difficult job. Sherry Truhlar is one of the best in the business. She is skillful at managing an audience and keeping them focused on the task at hand – which is… Read The Rest “Cynthia Steele Vance”